Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already exceeded expectations as a debut RPG from Sandfall Interactive. It’s received lovable characters, memorable enemies, and a dynamic fight system. The story can also be extremely propulsive. On this darkish fantasy, an evil godlike being known as the Paintress disappears the residents of Lumiére as soon as they attain a sure age. You play because the members of Expedition 33, a gaggle who hopes to kill the Paintress earlier than she will be able to cull extra individuals. However there’s one high quality that places Clair Obscur among the many greats: it’s these unusual little dudes named Gestrals. I really like them.
You meet your first Gestral, Noco, close to the start of the expedition that the principle characters are on. It seems to be like a kind of poseable sculptures that fashions the human physique for sketching, however with a paintbrush tip on its head. It speaks in a Minion-esque mixture of languages with some recognizable English phrases peppered in, most of that are associated to eager to combat you. Noco is delightfully tiny, too, magnifying the ridiculousness of its makes an attempt to problem you.
I might have cherished this critter it doesn’t matter what, but it surely’s particularly absurd in a narrative that’s in any other case so darkish. On the outset of the sport, the principle character, Gustave, watches his lover die; then, most of his expedition workforce will get decimated on a seaside. He briefly considers committing suicide earlier than one other squadmate, Lune, discovers him. Upon realizing his complete squad isn’t useless in any case, Gustave is reluctantly satisfied to proceed. You meet Noco not lengthy after and the tone shift in direction of goofiness is rapid and jarring. Throughout the subsequent few hours, you’re heading to the Gestral village — with Noco’s blessing — to discover a option to cross the ocean and advance your trigger.
On the way in which to the village you combat Gestrals in huge, mech-like Sakepatate fits. And why do they maintain preventing you, although Noco despatched you there? Nicely, that’s as a result of Gestrals need to combat everybody on a regular basis, together with one another, earlier than forgetting the whole lot two seconds later like goldfish. A few of them do it as a result of they need to mug you, others simply do it simply because they’ll. Gestral retailers gives you secret stock in case you beat them in a battle. There’s additionally an area the place older Gestrals can nonetheless combat individuals. No thought how these dudes survive out right here, apart from some obscure dialogue which suggests they get “reborn” periodically.
Those who aren’t attempting to combat you might be doing extraordinarily random, impulsive shit. There’s a gaggle of kid Gestrals watching an grownup play guitar pensively whereas one other says, “Let’s dance,” begins break dancing, after which retains dancing when you stand there. I discovered this part of the sport is greatest loved whereas dressing your character in both the “Sakepatate” outfit or the “Baguette” outfit. Only a professional tip. It actually takes the sting off the entire “dropping everybody you’re keen on who’s age 34 and older” scenario.
Do I’ve to finally depart the Gestrals’ city? I don’t need to. Little dudes are important to open-world recreation. It’s even higher after they reside in a city the place they’ll partake of their weird rituals collectively. What would Zelda video games be with out Koroks, or the foggy forest they reside in collectively? There’s Nier: Automata’s pleasant robots who reside in a group, led by Pascal, defying the concept that all robots are evil. And Elden Ring’s poor Albinaurics who reside to be rune-farmed round Mohgywn’s Palace. Gestrals are one for the books — and I hope to see them once more even after I depart their village. I need to.
